At Least 25 Killed as US Drones Strike North Waziristan
Pakistani Officials Believe Slain Were Haqqani Network Members
At least 25 people were killed and a number of others were wounded when US drones attacked a home and a vehicle near Miramshah, in Pakistan’s North Waziristan Agency. Pakistani officials say they believe the slain were members of the Haqqani Network, a militant faction active on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
The pre-dawn attack leveled the house as the men were sitting down to the last meal before the daytime fast of Ramadan. Officials say they had suspected the house was being used for militant trainees.
The attack is the latest in a growing number of strikes in the tribal areas, which continue to escalate despite Pakistani military demands that they halt such moves. The US has insisted the strikes will continue.
Though the victims of today’s strike appear to have been militants, studies into the effectiveness of the drone program suggest that the vast majority of the slain are actually innocent tribesmen, and the number of “known” militant figures is small indeed.
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Tom Mauel
August 10th, 2011 at 8:46 pm
When it is a rounded number of casualties 20,25,30,35 dead it almost always an estimate and there are many civilian casualties reported a day or two later.
bob35983
August 11th, 2011 at 12:54 am
I remember reading how the German ambassador to Turkey during WWI was horrified by the Turkish massacres occurring against the Armenian populace. He pleaded, he threatened, he argued, but one statement has stuck with me. He asked, "How do we explain this to the world if we lose the war?"
How will we explain this indiscriminate, remote-controlled, slaughter? How can "guilty in defense, be thus destroyed" possibly be conceived as just or wise or the actions of a sane gov't?
ghouri
August 11th, 2011 at 2:25 am
They can tell the stories which can,t be proved as there is no access to journalists in these areas.
americans i don,t bleieve they professional liers and killers.
rybo1
August 11th, 2011 at 7:11 am
With the constant slaughter using drones, I have no tears for the downing of the Chinook and "Team 6".
ken
August 11th, 2011 at 7:35 am
You say the victims of today's attacks appear to be militants. To whom? They almost always appear to be militants to the official Pakistani and U.S. authorities who report on these. The press usually dutifully reports this. They are almost always suspected militants. We know from other sources that many if not most are not.
David
August 11th, 2011 at 10:20 am
Murder Inc always kills before determining if someone is guilty or innocent, at least when it comes to non-Americans. These people, or "so-called" militants have never been a threat to the United States, but the US reserves the right to declare their worth, and status..who at this point sheds any tears whena "terrorist" chinook copter is taken down?? No me…
Die Wahrheit zählt
August 11th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
You're right Ken. It's always the same, whether it's in Palestine, Yemen, Pakistan etc. Isn't it strange, for example, when the Israelis kill someone, it's never an innocent civilian, it's always a "terrorist", and if they happen to kill the extended family, then they're sorry. The slaughter from drones, for which Obama is entirely responsible, just shows the US has carte blanche to kill, maim and terrorize anywhere it wishes.